Tears
by NothingImaginative
Summary: Tears can mean so much, despite being so small. My own ending continued from the events at Avalon in the final episode. No slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! Thanks for clicking on my fanfiction. Basically, Merlin ending was too much for my mind, so I wrote the ending in my own version. I'm not sure if I'll continue with this, it sort of depends on how busy my life gets. I need to update my other stories too.**

**I hope you enjoy! :) **

* * *

"Thank you."

Tears, they can hold so much despite being so small, pointless to those who do not see the meaning behind them. One single teardrop is all it takes to show someone…anything. They can represent joy and happiness and every single positive emotion that one can possibly feel, but they can also express sadness, loneliness, anguish, pain and fear. Something so small and seemingly unimportant can carry the heaviest burdens and secrets. All it takes is one tear.

However, Merlin cried many tears. His breaking soul flooded his body and made him shake uncontrollably, his head began to drown in this sea of memories that swarmed his mind and his eyes cried tears he had never shed before. His magic pulsed strongly, powerfully through his veins as it also shared this loss; its purpose was over. His destiny had been fulfilled.

But Merlin still cried. He did not care that his destiny had lead him to this point, he did not cry for that. He cried because he had lost his king, his reason for living, his friend. Arthur was dead. He was dead and it was his fault.

But he would not give up. Dead or not Arthur was his friend, and for his friends, Merlin will do anything. With tears streaming down his face and Arthur lying still in his weak arms, he looked up into the sky and called for his only hope. He shrieked with all of his power and as his raspy, torn voice, echoed out over the expanse of the lake, his eyes flashed gold and everything went quiet, with only the sound of his own crying to be heard.

The large sound of beating wings broke this heart-wrenching silence and the powerful, yet slightly worn, Kilgharrah landed on the fresh grass before his master. He simply stood and watched as Merlin continued to cry over Arthur's body. Despite the debated fact that dragons do not have emotions, the wise being couldn't help this feeling that pulled at his chest. Seeing the great warlock he had mentored for all these years crumble this way was not something he had ever wanted to see.

"Emrys." He called, his voice full of as much feeling as he could part.

A pain ridden face turned towards him, his eyes bleeding tears, and stared at him with so much hurt that the dragon's whole body sagged with sadness.

"Merlin. It seems your journey is over."

"You're wrong, he's not gone. He can't die. He's my friend." Merlin cried, still clutching the body of Arthur with all the strength he had left.

"Young warlock, this journey may be over, but a new time is beginning and so a new path will open." Kilgharrah said.

For the first time, a flicker of hope swept across Merlin's face, "You mean, he's not gone? I can bring him back?"

"You cannot." The dragon replied sadly.

"There must be a way! I cannot let him die! Not like this, not now." The wizard sobbed. "A life for a life. My life for his!"

"You mustn't do that, Emrys. You cannot give up your life for him." The creature stated.

"I have to! I can't just let him die!"

"Merlin, you must understand. Arthur's death was meant to be. Destiny was written this way and you cannot change it."

"I am Emrys. I am Magic. I can change his fate! I can bring him back!" Merlin pleaded, crying yet again.

The dragon shook his head, "You still do not see. You cannot bring back someone who was always planned to die. You cannot." He sighed, "But I can."

Merlin stared at the dragon with intense longing, "You can? You can bring him back? How?"

"I know much, I have been alive for centuries, I have seen the rise and fall of many civilizations, and I alone can trade places as I alone have the power and the knowledge to resurrect Arthur Pendragon."

"Trade places?" Merlin said, bluntly.

"A life for a life. Only a creature that has walked this planet for the length I have is able to bring back the king of legends. Although your power is great, your time here is not yet over." The dragon explained.

"No, you can't leave me." Said Merlin, more tears threatening to fall from his already weary eyes.

"Merlin, my time here is nearly at an end. To bring back Arthur, I would happily give my life." Kilgharrah said.

"But you are my friend also. You cannot leave me." Begged the sorcerer.

"I will never leave you, Emrys. When a dragon dies, their soul does not leave, or cease to exist, it becomes part of this world, it becomes magic. And, Merlin, you are magic. You are the living being who has the power to control it, to control me, and to control the fabric of this world."

There was a deep sadness that tore at both creatures' hearts. Merlin didn't want his teacher, his friend to go. He didn't want Kilgharrah to die. However he saw the truth in his words and knew that the dragon wouldn't change his mind. He also knew that Arthur mustn't die. Destiny is one thing. Friendship is another.

"I'm sorry," Merlin apologized.

The dragon chuckled, "Do not be sorry, young warlock, my time has come to an end, and I shall gladly die knowing of the future that you both will create."

Merlin cried again, "Thank you, for everything."

Kilgharrah smiled, "I should say the same to you, Merlin. I am proud to have known you."

And with that, Kilgharrah took his final breath and exhaled. His powerful, enchanted breath washed over Arthur and Merlin could feel the magic sweeping throughout the dead king. He looked sadly up at the old dragon before him and saw the being glowing. Kilgharrah was dying and Merlin could feel his heart wrench again. How many times must it be broken?

The dragons' form gradually became a golden silhouette and all of the magic flowing within Avalon became centered on the dying creature. The magic was pulled into the soul of the dragon and everything stopped for a moment. Suddenly, a bright light burst from Kilgharrah and Merlin's eyes were forced closed. When the light faded, the sorcerer turned his head back to where the dragon once stood, to his surprise, a type of golden energy hovered above the grass. It sunk slowly towards the ground and as it touched the earth, a golden wave swept across the land as it seemed to whisper, "Emrys…"

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**Please tell me what you think. I'm sorry if there are any mistakes or if it doesn't make sense.**

**Thanks for reading. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for your responses! I can't reply to some of them for some reason but for those who reviewed, I thank you for your comments! I've decided that I'll continue with this story but I warn you that it may not be updated very often. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, sorry it's a little slow, I felt I needed to vary the characters a little.**

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Merlin sat there, still alone, still hurt, still broken. He had not only let Arthur die, but he had let his teacher, his friend die too. A single tear slipped down his cheek and fell onto the pale face of Arthur Pendragon. To Merlin's surprise, his friend lifted his arm to wipe away the moisture and groaned as he did so. The warlock had never felt so many emotions at one time, relief, and happiness, hope, wonder all ran through his mind at the sight of Arthur. He scrabbled for the second time that day to find a pulse in the Kings neck and when he did reach it, he gasped in joy and watched as the colour returned to his face.

Merlin looked back at where Kilgharrah had once stood and smiled a sad smile. "Thank you," He whispered.

* * *

"My lady?" Sir Leon's voice was careful and understanding. Obviously the Queen was going through so much pain right now. They hadn't heard from Arthur or Merlin for days and Gwen had grown very tired, she looked broken.

The queen slowly drew her eyes from the window that looked down into the castle courtyard and turned, desperate hope lingering in her tearful eyes.

The knight sighed sadly, "I'm sorry to tell you, my queen, but I bring no good news. Sir Percival and Sir Gwaine have returned to Camelot. Sadly, Sir Gwaine is badly wounded and we do not think he will make it through the night."

Gwen stepped delicately over to one of the seats that sat by the table; she placed her head in her hands and cried. How many more lives would be claimed? She didn't dare think of it. All she wanted was everyone to be all right.

"My lady," Gwen turned her tear stained face towards her friend, "I'm afraid we haven't heard from Arthur either. Although we will not stop searching for him, we need someone to lead us."

The queen stood up proudly and wiped her eyes, she knew that she was not the only person suffering; her people were also hurt and needed a confident, brave leader. She may not be Arthur, but she was the queen, her people trusted her. Her people needed her.

* * *

It was haunting and chilling. It surrounded and consumed him. But at the same time it was peaceful, it was comfortable. But what was 'it'? Arthur didn't know. He was somewhere, somewhere where there was nothing, yet he himself was there so it couldn't be 'nothing'.

For a while he thought he was dead. He remembered the pain he was in before, and now, as he felt no pain, he realized just how much the wound actually hurt in comparison. It was a wonder he hadn't died sooner. Just this thought made him question whether or not he really was dead, a dead man cannot question, a dead man cannot think.

Yet Uther was a dead man, and he had returned as a physical being, well, perhaps not physical. If he was dead, why wasn't he with his father, or Elyan or even Lancelot? If he was dead, how could he be aware?

He came to the conclusion that he was not entirely dead, but that still didn't answer the question of where he was, or how he would get back, he couldn't stay here forever, could he?

He needed to get back; he needed to get home, back to Camelot, back to Gwen… back to Merlin.

"Where am I?" Arthur asked. No answer. "I am King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot and I have entered this place for some reason I do not understand. Could I be told why I am here?"

Before he could say any more, a small ball of water formed itself before his very eyes. The blue orb slowly glided towards him and Arthur found himself covering his unadjusted eyes from the bright light the sphere released.

"Do not be afraid, dear king, for this place is not something you should fear," spoke a gentle voice within the water.

"What is this place?" The king asked, even more desperate for answers.

"This place is the gate way to life, or death. Your fate is being decided as of this very moment."

Arthur squinted at the orb before him, "Who are you?"

"My name is Freya. I am the guardian of Avalon, I watch over the shores of the lake. I witnessed your death, Arthur. It seems your destiny has been fulfilled." Said Freya, her voice kind and compassionate.

"My destiny?"

"Yes, your death has been written in the path of destiny from the beginning. You were to die by Mordred's hand on the shores of Lake Avalon."

Arthur thought about this for a moment, "If my fate has already been decided, then why must I wait for even more answers? Why must I wait for death if it has already been decided?"

"You're an intelligent mortal, Arthur Pendragon." Freya stated, "Destiny can be changed, it can be rewritten, however it is rare. It takes a great sacrifice to change destiny."

"What sacrifice?" The king asked.

Freya replied with one single word; "Knowledge."

After a moment of thought-filled silence, Freya spoke again, "Your fate has been decided. Your life has been spared. You have been saved Arthur Pendragon, your destiny changed."

Arthur didn't know what to say. His life had been given back to him, why? "I thank you, Freya."

"I am not the one to thank." She replied, kindly. The king stared at the water, confused. If she didn't save him, then who did? "You must leave now, your soul has been called back to your body. Remember, Arthur, you are but one side of a coin."

"But what does that mean?" He cried.

"Goodbye Arthur Pendragon, good luck."

Before he could retaliate, the orb's light grew brighter. Arthur stumbled backwards, his eyes unable to look at the bright mass of energy, he passed out.

* * *

"As of today, we still do not know of the King's whereabouts. Until his status is known, we must presume the worst." Sir Leon spoke, his voice strong, as to block out the pain that was reflected in his eyes. He gave a look of sympathy to his queen before passing on the crown that marked her as the official ruler of her kingdom.

"Long live the Queen!" Leon cried.

"Long live the Queen!" The crowd chorused.

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** If you have any ideas, let me know! Thanks for reading! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much everyone! All of the support really means a lot to me. I'm trying to keep each chapter around one thousand words or so, just to make it a little easier for me to write.**

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Arthur groaned. He was beginning to wake up and only now did he realize the pain that gripped his body all over. He could feel the warmth of the sun's rays that were beating down on him; he could see the light pushing down on his now functioning eyelids too. He was sitting on damp leaves and was leaning up against a tree trunk, which poked and prodded at his back uncomfortably. He suddenly felt quite aware.

"Arthur?" From somewhere off in the distance, someone was calling his name. The sound of his own pounding heart and rushing blood in his ears blocked most of the external sound, therefore, he decided to rely on his other senses, and let his eyelids flicker open.

"Arthur!" It was Merlin. Arthur had never seen his servant so relieved as he dropped the bundle of sticks in his arms and ran towards him.

"Merlin!" He called back in excitement. He attempted to push himself up however his arms failed him and he slumped back against the rough bark, mumbling in annoyance.

"Arthur, are you okay?" Merlin shouted and ran to his side.

Arthur laughed, "I'm fine Merlin!" He paused, "I'm alive."

Both the men laughed as Merlin helped Arthur into a more comfortable position by the tree and as Merlin recollected his firewood so he could keep them both warm for the night.

"What happened?" Arthur asked, staring up at the sky as the sun began to set.

Merlin murmured something under his breath and the kindling he had collected and placed on the fire burst into flames. "How much can you remember?"

"I remember you holding me, and telling me I'd be okay. I knew I was going to die, Merlin, and you did too, but you didn't give up on me." Arthur said, he looked at Merlin with curiosity and was surprised when he saw tears in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

Merlin looked directly at him now. "I failed you. I let you die. If I had just killed Mordred when I first had the chance, you would never have died and this battle would never have happened. I'm sorry Arthur."

Arthur took in his words, "Wait, you knew he was going to kill me?"

Merlin nodded and found himself wiping his tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry Arthur. Its just… every time I had the chance, I just, couldn't do it. I couldn't kill him."

"Merlin, it's okay. I know you wouldn't kill a man in cold blood." Arthur sighed, "I don't know why you're the one apologizing when all you have ever done is look out for me. You have done so many things for me that I am only just beginning to understand. You've saved my life so many times; I can't repay that."

"You don't have to Arthur. It's my destiny to protect and serve you as it is yours to unite these lands." Merlin replied.

"Merlin," Arthur said slowly, "I'm sorry, for everything." Merlin made a quick attempt to interrupt however Arthur continued, "All those times I made fun of you and doubted you. When I took you for granted and when I abandoned you. You have stood by me all these years, you have saved mine and many other lives countless times and have never searched for the credit you deserve. You've been my only friend for so many years. I need you Merlin. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well you wouldn't be able to get dressed in the mornings, that's for sure." Merlin joked. Arthur laughed happily; he couldn't remember the last time he had laughed like this.

"Arthur, when I first met you, I thought you were a clotpole." They both smiled, "But then after a few weeks, I started to realize that you're not just a clotpole, but you're a royal one too."

"Merlin, where is this headed?" Arthur asked, a mischievous grin dancing upon his lips.

"Well, I came to understand, that although it was my destiny to protect you, that was not the reason I did it. The reason I have protected you, was because I can see the man who will unite these lands. I can see a fair and just king. I can see a friend."

"Thank you, Merlin…" Arthur smiled.

"I also see an idiot."

"Merlin!"

"Ow! Hey! What was that for?"

"For being a clotpole."

"That's my word!"

For the rest of the night, both men laughed and joked and, for the first time in weeks, enjoyed each other's company. The war was over and although they both still had to travel the miles back to Camelot on foot, they had each other.

* * *

The door to Gaius' chambers swung open and Gwen swept through them with hurried elegance. "How is he?"

The court physician was standing at his table, mixing ingredients together in some kind of bowl. "He hasn't changed, my lady. He's been this way all night."

Gwen picked up a damp cloth and gently pressed it on Gwaine's forehead, "Do you know what happened?"

Gaius sighed, "He was tortured by Morgana, that much we all know. But it seems like her friend, the Nathair's work."

Gwen looked up, shock etched upon her face, "Elyan…"

"Yes, Guinevere, I'm afraid so. This is the same type of situation, except Gwaine was exposed to the Nathair for a longer period of time. With Gwaine, however, she was merciless." Gaius explained.

"How is it he is still alive?" Gwen pleaded, "The pain he must've experienced…"

The physician placed his hand on her shoulder, "Gwen, I promise, I will do my best to save him."

The queen nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. "We can't lose anyone else, Gaius. First Lancelot, then Elyan… then Arthur. We can't lose Gwaine too."

"Gwen, Arthur may still be alive. We must trust in him, in him and Merlin. There is always hope."

"Yes, thank you. I'm just overwhelmed by all of this. Just a few weeks ago, everything was all right." Gwen murmured, sadly.

"And they will be all right again." Gaius continued, "We all believe in you, my lady, to lead this kingdom. With or without Arthur, we all know you'll be a great queen."

Gwen smiled, "Thank you, Gaius."

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** I'm sorry if this chapter seemed a little short, I enjoyed writing this and I know Arthur and Merlin still need to have a 'Magic' discussion, that'll hopefully be in the next chapter. **

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this, I'm glad to see I'm not alone with my ideas! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy New Year everyone! I managed to find time to write this chapter today so I hope you enjoy it. I know it drags on but it's just how it plays out in my head.**

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"Why did I let him go off alone?" Percival whispered, his head in his hands.

"Percival, it's not your fault," Leon replied.

Leon and Percival were down in the Armory cleaning their armor and shields as most of their chainmail was badly damaged and their over-tunics ripped from the battle that took place in Camlann. Most of the shields were either split or splitting and their swords blunt, although that was a job for the blacksmith.

"It is my fault. All I had to do was look out for him and I couldn't even do that." Percival looked helpless. Leon had never seen his friend so vulnerable and confused, the knight looked as close to tears as Leon had ever seen, and no matter what anyone said, Percival still believed that it was his fault Gwaine was injured.

The final words he spoke were 'I've failed'. He thinks that he has failed Arthur." Percival explained. "What if he dies, Leon? What if he dies thinking that?"

Leon was speechless. He understood why Percival felt this way, but he hated seeing his friend so beaten down. It wasn't his fault, he wasn't to blame, it was Morgana. It was her fault.

"Percival, it is not your fault. It is Morgana's. She will pay for this; she will pay for all of her wrong. Do not think this way brother for it is not your fault." Leon said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder in reassurance.

Percival managed a weak smile but Leon knew that he was being crushed by guilt that he should not suffer.

* * *

"So how do you feel?" Merlin asked Arthur, who was slumped against a log that sat by the fire. The servant had prepared Arthur's breakfast, rabbit and berries, in hopes to keep his strength up for the return journey to Camelot.

Arthur groaned, "I'm a bit bruised here and there but on the plus side, I'm not dying, so that's good."

Merlin chuckled, "Well, that is a positive."

Another silence. "Merlin, how did you do it? How did you save me?" Arthur asked, genuine curiosity playing in his voice.

Merlin shrugged nervously, "This time, it wasn't me. I didn't save you."

"Then…"

"It was Kilgharrah." Merlin answered the unasked question.

Arthur thought for a second, "I know that name. I've heard it before."

Merlin nodded, "You may also know him as the great dragon that attacked Camelot…"

The king rubbed his head in confusion and realization. "I was saved by the dragon that tried to kill me? Why, and how?"

"When he attacked Camelot, he was controlled by anger and evil that no longer clouds his heart. He was locked below the castle for twenty years, can you blame him?" Merlin explained, pulling on his jacket and boots which lay drying by the ongoing fire.

"That still doesn't tell me why he saved me this time."

The warlock sighed, "The truth is, Arthur, I brought him here. I couldn't let you die, and he saved you."

"How can you summon a dragon?" Arthur asked, almost shouting, not in anger, but in confusion. He was entering a world he barely understood and a place where nothing made sense to him.

The wizard groaned, "I have SO much to explain!"

Merlin helped Arthur up off of the ground and steadied him before the two began a slow, shaky journey home. With an injured king, no horses and bandits running around like wild animals, Merlin would count himself lucky if he got back to Camelot unscathed. Although Arthur was quickly recovering and could now walk steadily on his own, Merlin knew that if they came up against any enemies, it would be all up to his magic.

* * *

"How long have you, you know, used magic properly?" Arthur asked Merlin sheepishly.

They had been walking along a small path for about an hour at this point, the sun was now securely in the sky above them and the air around them seemed alive, like the whole world had revived with Arthur.

Merlin shrugged, he knew this conversation was going to be brought up, however it didn't make it any less awkward, "I'm not sure. I was born with magic, so I guess I started learning when I first understood what it was. It was only when I moved to Camelot did I realize how powerful it was."

Arthur considered this for a moment before moving onto the next question, because, they both knew that for a while, it would be Arthur asking the questions. "Weren't you scared?"

"In case I was discovered? To start with, yeah, I guess I was. You get used to it though. It becomes a normal secret after that. Well almost, a little bit bigger than a 'normal secret'," Merlin explained.

Arthur looked at Merlin with curiosity, "How on Earth did you manage to keep a secret that big for all these years?"

Merlin laughed, "Well, it wasn't easy. I don't even know myself." He could feel the awkwardness seeping back into their conversation and he became determined to keep it out of that zone, "It wasn't that the secret was hard to hide, it was more of the fact that I wanted to tell you all, but I couldn't."

Arthur was quiet, as if he was thinking things over in his head.

"I wanted to tell you Arthur. I really did. But I couldn't put you through that. I knew you'd feel betrayed and angry and that's not something I wanted you do deal with."

After a moment, Arthur smiled at Merlin, to the relief and confusion of the servant, "Merlin, I think understand. There is no need to apologize." The king placed his hand on Merlin's shoulder, "I now see who you are, and what I will become. I may not know what magic truly is, but I know you, Merlin, and I trust you."

"Thank you, Arthur."

"But remember Merlin, don't ever change. I want you to stay Merlin. I want you to stay by me just like you have always done."

Merlin nodded happily, "I won't change Arthur. If it makes you feel better, I'll still be the worst servant in the history of Camelot."

"You still want to be my servant?" Merlin nodded, "Good because when we get back this armour will need a _lot_ of attention!"

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** Sorry if that was cringe worthy, I'm not too good at scenes like this one. Thanks again for all the support, I appreciate all of it! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I'm really really really sorry it took so long! This month has been so so so busy and my laptop kinda exploded at the start of January and I haven't been able to get anything done until now because of exams and performances etc. I know this chapter should be better than this but I had to write it really quickly because I felt so bad and because I have even more exams this week. Hopefully I'll get a new chapter out soon. Love you all! Thank you so much for all of your support! :D**

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"The citizens are scared my lady, they do not know what to believe," said Gaius who sat next to Sir Leon around the round table. The city council had been called to a meeting because of a rumor circling the lower town.

"We don't have much information to go on right now, I can't risk sending any men from Camelot because of a rumor. We have the constant threat of war now that Arthur is known to be…" Gwen gulped; she couldn't even finish that sentence.

Percival spoke up, "My queen, I will happily go check the isolated villages to find any information."

Gwen considered this for a moment, "Well we can't just ignore this, and rumors of dragons are not to be taken lightly. Take a handful of guards and return the instant you uncover this situation."

"Yes my lady." With that the court dispersed leaving only the Queen and the Physician sitting at the old, round table.

Gaius looked almost as troubled as Gwen, his brow creased and his lips tightly pulled into a worried frown. Merlin should be back by now; it had been nearly a week since he had last seen his apprentice and he was gradually becoming more worried that something had happened. Whatever had happened at Avalon, whether Arthur was still alive or not, Merlin should be back by now.

"Gaius, I can't do this…"

The old man lifted his weary head in surprise, Gwen; the strong, kind, powerful Queen was failing to hold back the tears. Her whole face ached with emotional pain and her eyes; her eyes were so…lost. She clearly didn't know what to do with herself, the dark circles on her skin was proof of the lack of sleep and her bloodshot eyes revealed the amount of feeling she had let out when she was alone.

"My lady?"

Gwen stared at the table weakly, "I need to know. Until I know, how can I possibly know, anything? How do I know whether I can do it without him? Gwaine is no better than he was days ago and Merlin still hasn't returned. I just don't know what to think."

Gaius just sighed, "Gwen, I know it all seems hopeless right now, but we just have to trust in Merlin, and prey they're both okay. But you can do it, you've lead the kingdom many times without Arthur, you are much more than capable."

Gwen held back her tears. She knew Gaius was right, but the thought of being alone, without Arthur? No. She couldn't even think about it.

* * *

"So you can ride dragons and take on an entire army, but you can't find our horses? Are you serious?" Arthur complained.

Merlin groaned, "Are _you _serious?" We don't have that much further to walk, be patient!"

"Are you forgetting that I'm the king here?" Said Arthur, his voice teasing his servant.

"Oops, I thought you were a clotpole? Easy mistake to make."

"Merlin!"

Both men grinned. Everything seemed to be going right for once. No secrets, no worries, no evil sister threatening to destroy your kingdom and your existence. It was looking up for the first time in years, and now, they were walking along the common road that would lead them directly into Camelot. Soon, they'd be home.

* * *

After about twenty minutes, they heard the familiar clip-clop of horse's hooves against the hard dirt path. They hadn't met anyone so far on their trip back to Camelot but now they could hear a fair few men chattering away on horseback. It was only when Arthur and Merlin saw the royal crimson capes flooding out from the men's backs did they realize they were knights.

"Hello!" Arthur shouted as he realized who they were. The knights who hadn't noticed the two travellers looked in surprise, only for their faces to contort into some sort of amazing mix between happiness, confusion and relief. The knight leading the party immediately kicked his horse into a fast trot and covered the land between the groups within a few seconds.

"Arthur! Merlin!" It was Percival. His weary eyes brightened at the sight of his friends, "what… where?" He jumped down from his horse and roughly embraced Arthur and Merlin, pulling them both into a bone-crushing hug.

"It's great to see you again my friend. I'm sorry for our absence; I will explain all once we are all home. How is everyone?" Arthur asked happily.

Percival's face fell slightly, "Once they all know you are okay, I'm sure everything will be fine. But as of now, all I know is everyone is unsure what to think. With you gone, Gwen has to take up the throne and Camelot has had to be told that you… you know."

Arthur nodded slowly, "I'm so sorry you've all had to go through this. I will make amends."

"You should both return as soon as possible. The whole kingdom is in mourning." Percival said, a sad smile upon his lips.

"We're on our way now, unfortunately our horses," Arthur glanced at Merlin, "ran off, so we're making our way on foot."

At this point, Percival, along with some of the other knights, began to chuckle, "you mean these horses?" Percival asked, leading two horses forward. "We found them walking along the path back to Camelot not five minutes ago. We wondered who they belonged too, they had no clues or bags or anything like that."

Merlin laughed, taking the reigns of one horse from Percival, "thank you! Are you not returning too?"

The knight shook his head; "We've had reports from the outline villages, saying a dragon has been seen stalking the forests. So far, no one has been attacked but we have to go secure these areas."

"A dragon?" The king and his servant muttered in unison.

Percival nodded as he mounted his horse, "We won't be too long, but you two need to get back to Camelot. It will put the whole kingdom at rest."

"Thank you Percival. It's great to see you again." Arthur said as the group of knights made their way along the road, Percival smiled and nodded at his friends then followed his party away from the two men.

"Well then!" Arthur said, finally, "better get home!" He mounted his horse, Merlin doing the same.

"Arthur," Merlin asked, seriously, "What do you think happens now?"

Arthur smiled, thoughtfully, "first, you make my tea. I'm starving!"

They both laughed as they kicked their horses into a trot and made their way home.


End file.
